1. Ketamine and international regulations.
- Author
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Liao, Yanhui, Tang, Yi-lang, and Hao, Wei
- Subjects
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KETAMINE abuse , *ANESTHETICS , *DRUG traffic , *MEDICATION abuse , *KETAMINE , *MEDICAL prescriptions , *DRUG control , *THERAPEUTICS - Abstract
Background: Ketamine is an anesthetic commonly used in low-income countries and has recently been shown to be effective for treatment-resistant depression. However, the illicit manufacturing, trafficking, and nonmedical use of ketamine are increasing globally, and its illicit use poses major public health challenges in many countries.Objectives: To review the nonmedical use of ketamine in selected countries and its regulatory control.Methods: We conducted a review of literature identified from searches of the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) (1979-2016) and PubMed databases, supplemented by additional references identified by the authors. Special attention was given to the regulation of ketamine.Results: Illicit manufacturing, trafficking, and use of ketamine appear to have begun on a large scale in several Asian nations, and it has subsequently spread to other regions. Regulations governing availability of ketamine vary across countries, but there is a clear trend toward tighter regulations.Conclusions: As nonmedical use of ketamine and its harmful consequences have worsened globally, stricter controls are necessary. Appropriate regulation of ketamine is important for international efforts to control ketamine's cross-border trafficking and its nonmedical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2017
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